People pay thousands of dollars for health and beauty treatments in spas and wellness centers — if they only knew they already have the most effective whole-body treatment for health and beauty at home. We’re talking about a cold shower.
Yes, there are many scientifically proven benefits of enjoying a cold shower often. Here are eight reasons to blast your body with cold water daily.
A cold shower wakes you up
Let’s start with the obvious, if you’re having trouble waking up for work or school, a cold shower will undoubtedly wake you up, and it will make you more alert. Your body literally sends a warning sign to your body when shocked with cold water, releasing adrenaline and making your heart pump blood faster, oxygenating all your muscles and organs. That’s how you want to start the day!
A cold shower reduces stress
If you’re constantly worried about the smallest things of your everyday problems won’t let you focus, a blast of cold water will bring you down to earth. Your mind focuses on a single vital task, surviving, making any other problem you have in your life feel less of a burden.
If you’re feeling anxious or can’t sleep because of stress, take a cold shower and reset your emotions.
A cold shower helps you lose weight
You won’t come out of the shower slimmer, but as you cool down, you force your body to warm back up, which takes more calories than you think. Keeping yourself warm is the thing that burns most calories in our system. You’ll effectively boost your metabolism, making your body more efficient in burning fat, and it might even have an effect in the long run.
A cold shower makes you have more willpower
Your body doesn’t like cold showers, that’s why it’s so hard to jump under the cold stream, but the more you do it, the more you force yourself to do things you don’t particularly enjoy, and that makes you better at facing challenging situations. Take cold showers often, and you’ll be a better decision-maker and will be more confident in your skills.
Cold showers boost your immune system
You might think you’ll catch a cold if you take cold showers, but your immune system gets stronger. The lymphatic system, in charge of keeping your body safe from infections, gets a boost every time you shock yourself with a blast of cold water. This makes you have a more robust immune system, making you more resistant to virus and bacterial infections.
Cold showers are suitable for your skin and hair
Cold water makes our skin tighten, and our pores close, meaning you’ll expel all excess oils and dirt in your pores — primarily responsible for pimples and a greasy scalp. Cold water makes your skin clean itself. As your body warms up, the pores open naturally, and they’re cleaner than ever. If you have oily skin, then try blasting yourself with cold water and notice the difference immediately.
Your circulatory system gets a boost
Your heart rate accelerates when under stress, like when you take a cold shower. That makes your heart pump faster and harder, stimulating your veins and arteries while oxygenating every inch of your body. If you have circulatory problems, this might be an easy solution, and if you do it often, the results will be permanent. That means healthier skin too.
A cold bath helps you recover sore muscles
If your muscles ache after working out, take a cold shower and allow them to relax and restore. The cold water reduces inflammation, while the extra oxygen helps your body repair the muscles from the inside. There’s a reason professional athletes take an ice bath after an intense game or race. It helps with muscle pain while preparing them for the subsequent workout session.
Fear not; a cold shower won’t kill you!
No one likes to stand under a stream of cold water, but you can get used to it. Still, considering it might have benefits for you at many levels, you’ll surely want to make that extra effort and overcome the discomfort. Don’t get too used to it, though. Part of a cold shower’s effectiveness is its ability to shock you!